Runway Shoes

I am a shoe fanatic. I have 4 pairs of shoes from this store, each pair gets me compliments and are comfortable and easy to wear [however, I may have just lucked out with the shoes]. The shoes are fashionable and affordable. Perfect! I’ll be in soon to buy another pair. Without a doubt, my favorite shoe store.

Ten dollars and shoe for a gavel: my experience at Runway Shoes in Southcenter Mall
I purchased a pair of shoes this year at Runway Shoes. I was given a 20% discount because there was a big mark on one of the shoes that they said I could get out with a stiff brush. The stain never came out so I didn’t get to wear the shoes to the party, but hey, no biggie. Three weeks later I go back to return the shoes but was informed by the manager that I couldn’t get a refund because it was more than 14 days. I was given the option to choose a new pair. They didn’t have size 12 in stock of the same shoe so I had to choose another style.
So here is the kicker… the female manager (blonde with a first name Natalie I think) says I need to pay the difference between the two shoes. Ok, no problem I think. But then I see the shoes are sold for the same amount. Natalie says she can’t give me 20% off this second pair because it doesn’t have a mark on it. But wait I say, isn’t all the grief of the stain not coming out, not being able to wear them to the event I specifically purchased the shoes for, and spending the time to return them with 20%? Apparently not! My arguments fell on deaf ears and I left with a really bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t want a different pair of shoes.
Fast forward two weeks and I come back to the shop. The original manager that sold me the shoe was there as was the manager that wouldn’t extend the 20% discount. I explained the situation and the Natalie (or did it start with a V) said there was a misunderstanding about the 20% discount… that she should have given it to me. There was no misunderstanding… she just didn’t give me the discount. But hey, they are making up for it right? Oh wait… they won’t give me a refund of the 20% I had to pay extra. Instead I can buy another pair of shoes for 20% off. Seriously? I get to have another pair of shoes I don’t want? So I’m not having it, not round two with these guys. So male manager has a shoe in his hand and he is thumping it with his other hand… like what a judge would do with a gavel. This is getting great I think… he is beating a shoe on his hand because his is frustrated that I’m not accepting his offer. He is looking pretty perturbed now. Finally they cave in just to get me out of the store. I got my $ 10 back. I thought about 2 stars because eventually they made the right decision. but everything else about experience was so terrible I couldn’t do it. 1 star it is.
I’ve written 4 good reviews on Unilocal and this is my first negative one… because I generally do get good to great service at most places in Seattle. It takes a lot to rub me the wrong way. I worked in customer service for 3 years during college so I know it can be tough… but this is my worst customer service experience in many years.